What About Harry?
by BeverlyAnna
Summary: Late night is the best time for talking, especially when the discussion is focused on James's eccentric choice in baby names.


"Lily," James whispers, nudging me awake. "Lily."

"Hm?" I mumble back, wrapping my arms around my pillow and refusing to lift my head.

He places a gentle hand on my back and then requests, "Love, could you look at me, please?"

I adjust my position slightly so that I'm able to see James through my tangled mess of red hair. He pushes the strands away from my eyes so that I have a better view of him, and I realize that he's sitting up attentively. His glasses are on, and he has a notebook settled in his lap.

"What's going on?" I ask him, shrugging his hand off me as I sit up so that I can catch a glimpse of the notebook.

"I couldn't sleep," he says, pulling me against his side. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he mindlessly strokes my hair as he continues on like an enthusiastic child, "So I've been brainstorming names for Prong's Jr."

I place a hand on my stomach and let out a contented sigh before arguing, "There's no proof that this baby is going to be a boy. I could be carrying the future Chrysanthemum Evans Potter."

James scoffs. "First of all, we are not naming our child _Chrysanthemum. _I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, we're leaving the flower motif behind."

"That's a time-honored Evans tradition."

"A tradition that you will be happy to leave behind once you hear what I've come up with," he says, picking up a pen and tapping it listlessly against the notebook.

"Cornwald?" I say dubiously as I spot the name on the list. "_Cornwald_? You're going to name our child Cornwald, and I can't continue the floral tradition?"

"Ah," he says, "I _thought _you might feel that way, but I'd like to defend that one. See —"

"Whatever you say," I interrupt him sleepily, "is never going to make up for the fact that all of his friends will call him Corn."

"That's kind of wonderful, though, isn't it?"

"James, we are not naming our kid after a side dish."

"You're right," he agrees suddenly, crossing the name off, "our child will be dishy, but certainly not a _side _dish."

I roll my eyes in his direction, and then I continue scanning the list he's assembled. "Beowulf?"

"A classic hero's name!" he defends the choice.

"James, be serious."

"Don't you want our son to grow up aspiring to be a hero?"

"Don't you think that's a lot of responsibility to place on someone who hasn't even been born yet?" I counter. "Besides, it could be a girl."

"It's a boy," James says. "The lads and I can't raise a girl."

"No," I say, jabbing him in the side, "but I can."

"I know," he says, placing a kiss against the top of my head, "you're very capable. Still, though, it's a boy."

This time, he places a hand against my stomach. I smile at him, but my eyes keep scanning his list.

"_Elvendork_," I spit after a moment of silence.

James has the nerve to burst out laughing. "It's unisex," he says, barely able to contain himself. "Perfect for that girl you're dreaming about." I fix him with a glare, and he removes his hand from my stomach so that he can put his hands up in mock-surrender. "That one's a bit of an inside joke with Sirius, Lily. I promise."

I shake my head at him, and find myself quietly muttering, "Elvendork."

"Would you like to make a counter offer?" he asks me, finding my hand and looping his fingers through it.

"For our future daughter?" I question serenely. "Violet. Isn't that beautiful?"

"Yes, Lily," he says, "it's a beautiful name for yet another Evans flowerchild, but Violet _Potter_?"

"What do you care?" I challenge him. "If we're having a boy anyway, it shouldn't matter one way or another if I want to name our daughter Violet."

He angles his body towards me and pushes my hair out of his face. After giving me a long, thorough kiss, he states, "Fine, Lily. If it's a girl you have my full permission to name her Violet."

"Thank you," I say, giving him a sleepy grin.

I go back to the list of names he's compiled: Gregory, Marshall, Reginald, Dale, Lester, Rubin, Clifford, Bartholomew, Elmer, Lyle… As I continue reading the names, I find myself suddenly questioning my entire marriage. But, then, there's something about…

"Harry?" I say. It's the last name on the outlandish list. "Harry Potter. James, I like that a lot."

As I turn my head to look at him, I find that he's absolutely beaming. "I knew you would," he enthuses. "It's what I woke you up for. Saved the best for last, didn't I?"

"You woke me up to show me the name Harry?" I say, amused.

"It just came to me," he says with a gleam in his eye, "and I _knew _you'd appreciate it."

"I do," I say, grinning back at him. "Harry," I repeat the name once more. "Harry James Potter."

"Lily —"

"James, I'm tired. Don't you think we've covered enough for this evening?"

"Yeah, but Lily! This child's going to have enough problems without trying to live up to my name —"

"He'd be honored to wear the name, James," I say, leaning up to give him a kiss. "Now, I'm going back to sleep. It's either going to be Harry James or Cornwald Lucifer, so go ahead and pick your poison."

Before James can say another word, I've snuggled into his side and closed my eyes shut tightly awaiting for sleep to overtake me and the future Harry James Potter.


End file.
